We're Not Rats
by StarShineDC
Summary: Early on in their quest to take over the world, Pinky and the Brain are set upon by a pair of brutish lab rats. The two young mice's nightly efforts are disrupting their sleep, and the vile creatures are determined to put a stop to it. Even if it means going to the cruelest of lengths...
1. Chapter 1

So Skimmingsurfaces and I have been pondering why Pinky gets so very offended every time he and Brain are compared to rats when he's so happy and delighted with all the other creatures they meet along the way

He even scowls when they're mistaken for the larger rodent, which is so very unlike the big-hearted Pinky :heart:

So here's our answer to the pondering

It'll be split into 3 chapters :D

Enjoy!

* * *

Rats weren't allowed at the castle. It had lost the megalomaniac support when the decree had gotten out and was twisted by Snowball's followers, by Billie's smattering of followers, by other rebel groups who thought humans should regain their power. But The Brain had taken the burden and had no intention of altering the law. As long as he and his husband were alive, there would be no rats.

Because Pinky loved everything. He loved horses, sea lions, beavers, elephants, cats, dogs, pigeons - he loved every single creature on the earth they'd conquered. Except for one. The Brain held his cane a little tighter when he heard little Sweetie's words. Her twin was trying to tell her a scary story about sewer rats and she was far from frightened, just perplexed. "But we're just like rats."

"We're not rats!" The loud interruption had the twins looking to their great-grandma. They hadn't been aware that the taller mouse was paying attention, had assumed he was napping, but blue eyes were wide awake and narrowed. "We're mice! It's completely different. _Zort_." Pinky nodded decisively, pushing himself up to sit from where he'd been lying sprawled on his stomach.

Brain went to his husband, patting the bristling fur gently to soothe. "Shh, Pinky, it's alright. She's young and doesn't understand."

Sweetie, eyes big and confused, blinked at her great-grandparents. "But rats are just big mice," she insisted, not understanding further.

Her brother, Yam, shook his head vehemently. "No, they have uglier teeth and sharper claws and smell like bad onions left out in the rain. Mice don't smell like onions."

Her ears fell. "That's not very nice. _Snork_."

"But it's true," he insisted, pointing at Pinky, who was attempting to smooth down his bristled fur and cuddle with Brain simultaneously. "Great-grandma said so." Except for the onion part, he took creative license with that one.

"I did?" He blinked at the children, brow scrunched both from the subject and from trying to remember.

"Whether you did or not, it isn't entirely inaccurate, my dear." Brain patted his cheek, turning his gaze from his partner to the children. "No more talk of rats, now. Not in front of grandma."

"But why?" Sweetie insisted. They'd never ever even seen a rat before, and none of the take over the world stories she'd ever been told had mentioned rats. Her great-grandma only mentioned them occasionally while watching a version of the Nutcracker that made the rat king a mouse king instead.

"Wuh- well, because they're mean and icky! Why would you want to talk about them?" Pinky's ears flattened as he hugged himself, legs crossing and uncrossing.

"Because mean, icky things are cool?" Yam asked, cocking his head to the side.

Now Brain's fur bristled, just a little, and his grip on the end of his cane tightened further. He scowled. "Rats are not... cool. Now go find your parents. Grandma and I require some time alone."

"But grandpa-"

"Go," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The twins exchanged looks, Yam shrugging slightly, before they got up and left their grandparents to themselves. Pinky watched them go, still hugging himself and fidgeting. Once the door shut, he turned to his husband, leaning closer to him. "You didn't have to make them leave, love. Poit."

"Yes, I did. But it's alright, my dear. I suppose I can apologize later." But rats weren't something he discussed with his great-grandchildren. Or the grandchildren and children, for that matter. No one in their family understood Pinky's hatred of the specie, only him and that's the way he preferred it to remain. No one knew what his sweet husband looked like snarling and growling.

He lowered himself to the floor beside him, setting his cane to the side as he took one of Pinky's hands in both of his and rubbed gently. "But they were upsetting you, and I can't allow that."

"Troz." He placed his other hand on Brain's and held on, staring at them for a moment, then flicked his gaze up to meet the pretty pink eyes that always made him feel so much better. It eased any twisty feelings inside and allowed him to rest against his side. "Even if they didn't mean it?" Because none of the grandbabies and great-grandbabies ever meant to hurt their feelings. And Yam had only been telling Sweetie a harmless, ol' story... "...We're not rats, Brain."

"No, Pinky, we're not rats." He lifted one hand to his husband's cheek, resting it there as he leaned in to kiss him. Chaste and sweet and with all the love their years together had instilled. "We never will be. And I know they didn't mean to, both of them youthful and having no understanding of the complete circumstance, but that doesn't excuse the fact that they did." He snuggled closer, wrapping an arm around his partner to rub soothing circles into his side. "We'll stay here until you feel better," he promised. "Just us two."

"'Kay," he murmured, both arms going around Brain to hug and cuddle until all the bristly badness went away. Then he kept holding, closing his eyes and breathing his lover's scent and feeling very safe and warm.

It took Brain longer to relax, mind insisting on replaying the details. Even without his eidetic memory, it would've been impossible to let go. Watching something made of love learn to hate was not something easily forgotten.

-8-8-

They were both young, full of verve and excitement. Fresh plans, a brand new goal, a lifetime to live as rulers of the world! They only had two weeks of nightly failed ploys behind them and had yet to venture outside of the lab. The shorter, large-headed leader of the duo was certain that they wouldn't need to and easily ignored his trepidation at going outside.

But two weeks of loud plans had not made the pair of them any friends in Acme Labs. The oftenness with which The Brain yelled at his more simple-minded companion and the unexpectedness of a machine exploding in the corner kept many of the occupants on this side of the lab awake long into the night. Brain didn't overmuch care and Pinky didn't realize that they were keeping anyone awake, his excitement and delight in having a smarty mouse friend and being allowed to help trumping any thought he may have had to the condition of fellow lab animals. To him, they may as well have been the only two animals in the entire building!

Yet they certainly weren't, and two rats in particular had grown very tired of the situation as night fifteen rolled around and the noise began. They busted out of their cage with a long claw and a lot of anger, making their way along the counterspace to get to the two small white mice.

The taller one was met first, rocking on his heels and gazing in admiration up at his friend, who was banging a wrench against a machine. It was heavy and he'd already made a mental note to build up his arm strength. How else would he be able to properly complete machinery? Not that this plan wouldn't work. It was sure to! But he had discovered a love for building and creating, knew he needed the strength to manage it consistently even after taking over the world.

He didn't notice the big, brown-furred rats coming towards them and wouldn't have done anything about them anyway. He had lofty goals and a narrow timeframe with which to complete them. Nothing could distract him! Absolutely nothing. Not even his sidekick's bumbling ways.

Pinky noticed them, however, as he had excellent peripheral vision! "Hi!" he greeted happily as the two rats stalked up to them, waving and rising to his tip-toes. "_Narf!_"

"Pinky! If you're greeting another paperclip, I shall have to hurt you!" The wrench slipped from his fingers then, hitting the countertop with a loud bang. "Drat," he grumbled, looking down. "Pinky! Give me back the..." He blinked at the newcomers, then scowled at them. "We're in the middle of something of high importance. Pinky and I have no time for visitors."

The two rats exchanged glances, the slightly taller one flicking his tail. The other nodded, and they moved. Pinky was grabbed, a long tail wrapping around his legs, a strong grip pinning his arms behind him. And Brain's tail was grabbed and yanked. He yelped, the surprise at someone having the audacity to touch him without permission coupled with a jolt of pain from the broken appendage.

"Shut up," the one with Brain snapped, throwing the megalomaniac to the counter and kicking him hard in the side. He kept a tight hold of his tail, though, too tight.

At first Pinky had thought it to be a game of sorts, like that time Brain used twist ties to keep him from running around and distracting him, but it didn't look very fun when the big mouse kicked his big-headed, chubby friend. And he'd made a yelpy sound, like something hurt and not in the fun-fun silly-willy way. The lanky mouse made to go to him, the instinct to help him already ingrained in him, but the grip on his arms and legs kept him from budging even an inch.

Craning his neck back to look at the big mouse-rat who held him, Pinky blinked up at him. "Let go, please."

"Not a chance, moron," he growled, squeezing tighter with his hands and tail. "And you'll stop your squirming if you know what's good for you."

"Umm... is that a trick question?" Pinky asked, not even wincing when the grip tightened.

"Pink- nya!" he yelped, then wheezed when he was kicked again. It was hard enough that time to slid him across the counter, the spring of his own tail dragging him back into another kick.

"I said shut up. You're loud. You're always _loud_!" This was snapped with another kick, directly to Brain's neck. The little megalomaniac choked on air, grasping at his throat and curling into a tight ball to try and defend against the kicks. He was struck in the back next. "You and your retard friend need to shut up."

Pinky's ears twitched high on his head, his eyes wide. A twisty bad feeling in his gut had him wriggling harder in the rat's grasp, whining when he was shoved to the countertop, the full weight of his captor knocking the wind out of him for a minute or two. "Stop it! You're not playing nice!" he scolded them both when he had his breath back. "You can't do that to Brain! Braaaaain- ow!"

The rat slammed his face into the counter, knocking his words all around in his head. It was kinda like a bop, but it made his nose sore and his head throb and it just wasn't done in a very nice way at all. Brain bopped him nicely. And Brain never got bopped back, but now this meanie mouse was and it sounded like it was hurting awful bad. "What're you gonna do about it, dummy?" the rat sneered in his ear, making it fall.

"I'll stop you! _Narf! _ I will!" Pinky frowned at him, struggling harder. He wouldn't let him up though. He wouldn't let him up to help Brain. His friend needed him and he was stuck. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Make the retarded one shut up, will ya? I'm busy." Another well-aimed strike to the small of his back had Brain's body spasming, an outcry tearing from him. He closed his eyes tightly against tears, trying to curl up tighter. It hurt. It had been so unexpected and it hurt and, worst of all, it made him feel small. So small when he was trying to be big. He whimpered when sharp claws pricked at his tail, growing dizzy when the heel of a large foot was slammed into the back of his head. It pressed until the proud megalomaniac let out a squeaky plea.

The rat eased up, even releasing his tail. "You wake me up again, you little freak, you'll have to beg a lot more." Brain's response was a cough, causing the rat's lips to curve just a little, just enough to reveal that he'd enjoyed this. His tail flicked, a silent signal to his cagemate.

Wearing a matching smirk, the second rat got up off Pinky, but not before swiping at his ear, the claws grazing it, making it sting. The blue-eyed mouse pawed at it, watching the big, bulky meanie pants start to walk away. "You won't get away so easy next time," he called out over his shoulder.

Pinky stuck his tongue out at the back of his head, inching closer to his cagemate while watching the rat who'd been hurting Brain closely.

He watched right back, lip curling into a sneer. "Here you go, retard." He gave Brain a last kick, sending him sliding across the counter towards Pinky. Then he followed after his cagemate, pausing beside a roll of blueprints. "Hey," he called to his cagemate and stooped down. "Watch." With ease, he had the plans Brain had spent the day completing torn to shreds and chucked the pile of blue scrap at the two mice. "Guess you won't be needing those," he taunted and caught up with his fellow rat.

"Poit." The plan thingies his friend had worked so hard on fluttered around like sad confetti. But it wasn't as sad as Brain being all crumpled on the ground and getting kicked around like a rock 'em, sock 'em robot. "Are you okay, Brain?" Pinky held onto his shoulders to help him up, tempted to pull the smaller mouse into his lap. He did seem awfully small; nothing like the loud, proud, biggly-wiggly word, smarty mouse he'd come to know. His friend didn't make squeaky sounds.

Brain sniffled, biting back the whimpers as he slowly sat up. Tears still fell from his eyes, tracking down his cheeks as he lifted his gaze to meet the blue of his companion's. He sniffled again, bruises forming under his fur and on his aching, blood-spotted tail. Those claws hadn't drawn much, but it was enough for the little mouse to feel the sting. He wanted to lean against Pinky and be held, but the urge was childish. With effort, it was ignored as he wiped his eyes.

His plan was in ruins. He could've easily redrawn them, the final draft held in his eidetic memory, but there was little point. He couldn't lift the wrench now, not with his body a singular, throbbing ache. And he was so dizzy, a welt in the back of his head swelling enough to rise above his fur. "The c-cage, Pinky," he whispered, his voice hoarse and quiet.

Pinky's jaw dropped as he stared at the tears. Something inside him hurt, hurt more than his ear and his face, but probably not more than all of Brain's owies. "'Kay," he replied, helping his cagemate stand. "Can you walk okay, Brain?" The urge to lift him up and carry him was there, but he'd been bopped and scolded many times for sweeping him into his arms, enough that he knew Brain didn't like it. And with him looking so sad and hurt, he wanted to do everything he did like for him.

Hugging his stomach, the smaller mouse nodded. "Of c-course." He took a testing step, but nearly stumbled. Swallowing hard, Brain looked back at Pinky. "I r-require assist-tance," he stuttered softly, lifting a hand to knuckle away more tears.

Immediately he leaned over and wrapped an arm around his waist, encouraging Brain to hold on back as he took little steps towards their cage. He didn't want him to stumble again like Humpty Dumpty and break his big ol' head and never get put back together again. Egad, that would be awful! His very best friend couldn't get all broken, even though he looked very close to it now. Why would mean ol' mean mice want to break him? He had no idea and it seemed very rude and... mean.

"Why did those big meany mice hurt you, Brain?" he asked as they got closer to their home.

"_Mice_?!" he snapped, hard and loud enough to aggravate his injured throat. He went into a coughing fit, having to lean closer to Pinky and stop moving until it could subside. Then he gestured for Pinky to continue and continued the slow journey. At least their cage wasn't far. "Those were n-not mice, Pinky. You and I are m-mice. _They_ were... w-were _rats_."

"Rats?" Pinky's ears fell and he rubbed Brain's back to keep him from coughing more as they walked. "Wuh... well, why would rats want to hurt you? Poit." He helped him into their cage, leading him straight to their bed. They shared one, because they were friends and sharing was caring and he cared an awful lot about Brain. Plus it made the nights after the tomorrow nights less lonely. He was very glad for it now too, he wanted to stay close by his cagemate since he had all those owies.

The small mouse whimpered when he managed, with Pinky's help, to get into their bed. He couldn't get comfortable on his back or his stomach, both sides throbbing, so rolled onto his side facing Pinky's side of the bed. He wanted to sleep for a week, wanted something hot to drink, wanted a hot bath. He wanted to cry some more.

But Brain cleared his throat a little, bringing his knees up to his chest and hugging them as he curled into that protective ball again. They had hurt him, clearly, because the enactment of their plans had awakened them. The next night they would just have to go to a different section of the counter, further away from the violent buffoons. "They just... d-don't want me to t-take over the world," he mumbled. It was only partially a lie, he comforted himself. Or not even a lie, just a stretch of the truth. If they couldn't make noise amidst their plans, then they would never be able to take the world over. It was a logical follow of the pattern.

Pinky watched him, several times moving in as if to hug him, but if Brain couldn't even lie down on their comfy bed without it hurting, then he didn't want to make it worse by hugging too hard. Brain did say he hugged too hard sometimes. Hesitantly, he reached out and pet the curve of his ear instead. It didn't looked as sad as the rest of him. "They must be very con-fused," he told him. "Taking over the world is your destiny!" That's what he'd decided after the second plan thingy. Someone who tried for something more than once clearly had a destiny.

He kept petting his ear as his eyes took in his small, sad ball of a body. "Want some hot tea and the first aid kit, Brain? Troz. It might make the owies go away." The first aid kit really was a magical box of magic.

Brain didn't respond for a moment, quietly wondering how Pinky had known. He was a bumbling imbecile, after all. "Y-yes," he agreed. Hot tea would be lovely and while the first aid kit wouldn't necessarily be able to do anything for his bruises, perhaps having a little bandage on his tail would help the stinging there.

"'Kay. I'll be right back!" he promised, spinning away to leave the cage. Since their escapes became nightly, Pinky had discovered the magical machine in the kitchen area that made water hot. It was perfect for tea and he'd been waiting to make a cup for Brain to actually drink (as he'd accidentally spilled the first one he'd tried to make him all over him in his excitement to show him that he'd made tea).

He made it just the way his mother taught him! Oh, wait... she hadn't... but that was beside the point. The point was that he knew how to make tea the right way! No sugar, but honey and a little bit of kiwi (though the kiwi looked an awful lot like a lemon. Maybe he was supposed to use lemons...). Filling up a little thimble with the steeped tea, Pinky's tongue poked out and his brow furrowed in concentration as he carried the cup and walked at the same time. One never really knew how hard it was to walk with hot beverages until they tried it.

"Here, Brain! Tea!" he chirped, carefully approaching the bed.

Brain sat up slowly, looking at the thimble with some apprehension. Even if it was just hot, discolored water, it would be something hot against his throat and he could take a few sips to soothe. And then he'd never allow Pinky to make tea again. He reached out without bothering to thank him, cupping the thimble. Their fingers brushed and he thought nothing of it, lifting the thimble to his lips cautiously. He blew carefully at the steam and took a hesitant sip.

His eyes sprang wide the moment the taste coated his tongue. Honey, lemon, and magic. The fanciful notion was clearly a product of too much time around his sidekick, but for the moment it seemed like a decent excuse. This was simply the greatest tea he'd ever had. Not that he'd had much, but his own cuppas hadn't ended up being this delicious. So magic it was. "This is excellent," he murmured, voice already a little less raspy. He took another sip with a pleased hum.

Pinky clasped his hands together and held them to his cheek. Oh, it was working already! Brain looked and sounded much less sad and achy breaky! Right, the first aid kit. The blue-eyed mouse scanned the cage for it, eventually finding it stashed under their bed. They'd only used it a couple of times so far, but they were both getting better at bandaids. Though, neither of them had ever gotten as beat up before.

Popping open the box, he held up a few of the contents. He found a bandaid, but did Brain need anything else? "What do I use for your owies, Brain?" he asked from where he sat with the kit on the floor.

"Nothing can be used for bruises but time, Pinky." Nothing but sleep and a warm bath when he awakened the following morning. "Just get a bit of the antiseptic and a bandaid for where that brute defiled my tail." The tea warmed his belly and soothed his throat. So much so that even though his body was still a large ache, he felt better and in charge again. For a mouse who was plotting to take over the world, feeling in charge was very important.

"'Kay!" With the tube of cream in one arm and the bandaid in the other, Pinky went to sit beside him on the bed. Poor crookedy tail. It was already all bendy breaky like a straw without a home and now it had mean scratches on it. The taller mouse pouted and poked it lightly. "Sad tail," he murmured, then brightened. He had bandaids, it would get better soon. "Don't worry, Brain, I'll fix it up all better! _Zort!_"

His tail twitched away at the touch, but he tried to settle. It was just that the breaks had sensitized the appendage; he didn't like anyone to touch it lest it hurt further. At least he was aware that his sidekick wouldn't injure it on purpose. Foolish and bumbling, he was, but Pinky was also loyal and sweet. The sweetness was on the uncomfortable side and The Brain wasn't always sure if he could trust the bright eyes, but he would give him the benefit of the doubt now. He'd called out to him while he'd been getting kicked by that rat.

"Were you injured?" he asked, only thinking of his cagemate's possibly harm then.

"My ear hurts," Pinky replied easily, the thing kept twitching as if he didn't know whether he wanted it up or down. It stung when it was up and stung when it was down too. "The meany mous- umm... rat scratched it. He should really trim his nails. Poit." He rubbed the antiseptic over the bends of Brain's tail, getting every last bit of it, then started to wrap the bandaid around it. "Oh. And he pushed my face on the floor and sat on me." His nose scrunched and wiggled, testing. "He was very rude. He didn't have to push me or grab so hard." Were he any other mouse, more than just his ear would've been hurting, but he was gifted with high pain tolerance. Or perhaps cursed, one never could tell, and certainly he couldn't ever hope to.

Brain sighed, gesturing for him to lower his head. And when he just gave that blank smile, the smaller mouse tugged him down to study the back of his ear. Red scratches stood out angrily against his white fur and the little megalomaniac felt... bad for not asking sooner. But he quickly buried the twinge of guilt, reassuring himself that his own injuries were far worse. He shouldn't be expected to ask.

But he did take the antiseptic and pour a small amount into his hand. He gently rubbed it into Pinky's ear, scowling. "Whenever you're injured, you need to inform me from now on," he instructed. "I need to make sure that you're available to assist me in world domination at all times."

"It's only my ear, Brain." Pinky didn't know how that would stop him from helping. "You can always count on me to help! _Narf!_ Even if I had a real bad tummy ache." He would've nodded to affirm it, but he kept his head down until Brain was done.

"Ears are important things, Pinky. But I appreciate the offered sacrifice." He'd seen the fool gobble enough cheese to turn himself into a small watermelon; he doubted Pinky could even _get_ a stomachache. Satisfied with what aide he'd been able to offer, Brain released his ear and allowed him to straighten again. "The scratches require air or I would bandage it, but it should stop stinging soon."

"'Kay." He believed him without question, smiling brightly at his kind, generous friend. He didn't know anyone who would ever be so nice as to help an owie feel better. "Does your tail feel better yet? And the rest of you?"

Surprisingly, yes. He gave a small, testing twitch of his tail. He hadn't yet lost dexterity in it as he would after the next two breaks. There were only three kinks in the appendage now. Nodding, he lifted his gaze to his sidekick's. "I do, Pinky. Thank you." It was the first time he'd said the words, the first time he hadn't dismissed them as unnecessary. "But I'll feel even better after some sleep. You should sleep as well for we have a busy night tomorrow."

"Why, Brain? What're we gonna do tomorrow night?" he asked, moving the first aid stuff from the bed so he could get under the covers.

"The same thing we do every night, Pinky." Except they'd manage it tomorrow night; he was certain of it. "Try to take over the world!" He set aside his empty thimble, the tea pleasantly filling his belly and warming him from the inside out as he rolled back onto his side. He rested his cheek against the pillow, sighing quietly as his eyes closed.

"Naaaaaaarf," Pinky purred, snuggling on his side too, arms and legs tucked in close as he watched Brain for a few moments. He did look much better, and he hadn't even needed any get-better kisses. Oh! How could he forget that? Those were very important to the healing process! Crucial! But now Brain was all sleepy, so he supposed he could give him one tomorrow if he still hurt. He just couldn't forget again. Easy enough. Closing his eyes, he rubbed his face against his pillow and settled for the night. "Goodnight, Brain."

"Goodnight, Pinky."

* * *

They're still so little! I just can't even stand it, so cute

But so worrying. This is only the first out of the attacks the poor boys suffer...

Anyway, the two kids at the beginning, Sweet Potato (Sweetie) and Yam, are (c) Skimmingsurfaces and myself~

Pinky and the Brain (c) Warner Bros and such

The rats belong to no one because they suck and Steph and I want no part in owning them XD


	2. Chapter 2

The following night, they made sure to be further away from the rat cage whilst completing their plans. And this one didn't require a machine! Well, not one beyond the computer the minuscule megalomaniac was currently inside and tampering with. He wanted to be able to use it in order to hack into the world's governments and just change the name of all the leaders to The Brain.

It left Pinky on his own, exposed, and every single shout Brain had to make in order for Pinky to hand him a tool, constantly having to include descriptions with his orders, carried to the rats. They exchanged glances and broke out of their cage yet again, making their way to the two mice who really needed to learn their lesson. The same one as before grabbed Pinky, the screwdriver he was carrying to Brain (he'd asked for a small wrench), clattering to the countertop.

And, since Brain wasn't visible, the leader of the duo decided to deliver punishment to the moron. While his cagemate held the taller mouse, the rat began to strike heavy, strong blows to his front. "When are you two going to learn how to shut up?" he demanded.

Pinky opened his mouth to answer, because even though these rats were rude he wasn't going to stoop to their level and be rude back, but nothing came out. He couldn't even cry out as the hits winded him, stealing his breath and hurting places he didn't even realize could hurt! Tears sprung to his eyes; egad, he'd never felt like this before. And it wasn't stopping. Pinky tried to kick, tried to get away, but he was held tight and it hurt. "Stop, please-!" he finally wheezed, staring wide-eyed at the rat hitting him. "That hurts!"

Brain, who'd gotten tired of waiting, stuck his head out of the side of the computer, scowling. It froze on his face when he saw what was occurring, letting out a quiet gasp of his own. They were harming him! They had no right to hurt his friend! "Leave him alone this instant!" he shouted, drawing attention to himself when he would've been fine otherwise.

With a small smirk, the slightly bigger rat struck Pinky one more time, in the face this time as his aim was to blacken one of the freakish blue eyes. But then he bolted to the computer too quickly for the chubby, younger mouse to do much more than let out a fearful, strangled noise. He was jerked out by the scruff of his neck, carried closer to Pinky even while he wriggled and tried valiantly to free himself. "Put me down! Put me down this instant! Leave the pair of us to our work!"

"Not gonna happen," he replied easily, his long tail winding around Brain's legs. He released his neck, but whipped him hard to the counter with the strength of his appendage.

"Brain-!" Pinky choked, reaching for his friend as the second rat shifted where he held him, closing his fingers around his neck and holding him off the ground, watching him squirm and squeak helplessly. One eye was sealed shut, already swelling, while the other flicked around, trying to locate Brain. They couldn't beat up his friend again! Not when he'd just been getting better!

"We said shut up, retard. Can't you understand even that?" He squeezed a little tighter, then slammed his body to the countertop too, grinning at his cagemate when Pinky did little more than flinch. There were so many colors spotting his vision, or what he could see out of his open eye, and his head throbbed even more than it did when he'd tried to add one plus one.

The one flicking Brain carelessly against the counter again and again chuckled viciously. It was enough punishment for the moron. He was too stupid to be in charge; it was this one that was the trouble. So he slammed him harder, continuously, moving just a little so Pinky could see every single merciless slam. Again and again until blood spilled from Brain's nose and split lip, and his outcries fell silent. Only then did he release the small, unconscious mouse. He rubbed his hands together as if just completing a mildly satisfying duty and flicked his tail. It was time to go.

"He wakes up, you tell him we won't be so nice next time," he instructed, sneering at the blue eyed mouse. "You got that, retard?"

The second rat squeezed his neck until Pinky managed a nod. He was left sprawled on the countertop, kicked closer to his unconscious friend before the rats wandered back over to their cage. Waiting until he was sure they couldn't come back, Pinky started to cry. Brain's poor face. His scowly-scowly face was all covered in icky red stuff and he wasn't moving at all.

"Brain?" he called out, hoarse and thick, as he pushed himself up to crawl closer to him. "Brain...!" Why was he sleeping? How could he help make him better if he was sleeping and couldn't tell him what to do? On wobbly knees, Pinky stood up, picking up his cagemate when he was sure he wouldn't fall down. Well, first he would clean his face. He wouldn't want all that red on it, no he wouldn't. Then maybe he'd wake up.

Pinky laid him on their bed and got a damp cloth, it had been hard to find with only one eye but he got it and then made Brain's face a little less scary to look at. He dabbed around his nose and mouth, whimpering all the while. He wasn't used to hurting and watching his friend get hurt. He didn't like this at all.

The stinging awakened him, his eyes cautiously squinting open. He took in the swollen eye and the clear pain in the other one, and his ears fell in defense against the whimpers. He hadn't thought of Pinky as his friend, not really, until he'd seen him being beaten. And now he felt a twist in his gut that had only a little bit to do with his desire to purge the contents of his stomach. "Pinky...?" he whispered, wincing. His head ached as though it had been split open. He knew it hadn't been, felt no blood sticking him to the pillow his battered cranium rested on. "Pinky, are you okay?"

Oh, he was awake! If Brain hadn't been in so much pain, he would've been happier for it, but it was enough to relieve a weight off his chest. "Brain-!" his relieved cry became a cough, his throat still felt tight, as if fingers were still squeezing it. Pinky shook his head once the fit ceased, then placed it on the bed beside his friend, his knees lowering him to ground. "No," he whimpered, "you're all hurt again only worse. T-troz."

His chest tightened. Pinky was more upset about his injuries than he was his own? That was... Well, it was quietly stunning. Brain had never dealt with someone like this before, his only other friend being a hamster who had been removed from the lab after attempting to destroy it right in front of the scientists. And when the pair of them had ever been injured, Snowball had always tended to himself first.

It was a simple enough decision, choosing not to be like Snowball. He sat up slowly, holding his aching head in one hand. He tugged at Pinky gently, scooting over. "Climb beneath the covers, my friend. Tell me where it hurts." His neck. What had they done to Pinky's neck? After he'd been grabbed, everything had blurred, but the taller mouse was far too raspy and his eye was swollen shut. He needed ice.

Friend. Oh, Brain had called him his friend. Of course they were friends, but it wasn't like Brain had ever said so out loud. Sniffling, he climbed onto the bed, on Brain's side since he moved over, and pressed close to the smaller mouse. "Right here," he told him, pointing to his neck, then up to his eye. "And here. And my tummy, he hit me in the tummy a lot, Brain. That's not where you should hit." Pinky shook his head, curling up in a ball and blinked at him tearfully with his one eye. "Why was red on your face, Brain? It was scary. Poit."

The Brain cupped Pinky's cheek, tilting his head carefully in order to study his eye. He scowled at the damage caused, assessing what needed to be done for him. "The red was blood, Pinky. It carries nutrients and oxygen throughout your body," since he was giving the simple version to his mentally challenged comrade, "which means that it's necessary for life. Typically, one bleeds from a cut. But forceful impact with something can also cause bleeding, which is what happened to me." He nose still ached and his lip stung the more he spoke.

The gentle touch was odd. Not unwelcome, but not very Brain-like. When he touched him it was usually to grab or bop. Pinky kept his head very still, not wanting to give his friend cause to pull his hand away. It was nice to feel after all the hitting. He reached out to give nice touches back, lightly tracing from his nose to his lips. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"My lip stings and the impacts which caused the damage hurt, but you stopped the bleeding. I'm grateful." Dropping his hand from his cagemate's battered face, he scooted away to get out of bed and get the first aid kit. He nearly crumpled to the floor, his first attempt at standing causing a wave of nausea to overwhelm him. Dizzy, wondering if perhaps he'd ended up with a concussion, the small mouse took several deep breaths before attempting to stand again. He was more prepared for the light-headedness and the roll of his stomach. He slowly made his way to the kit, picking it up with a concentrated effort, and carried it back.

"You shouldn't walk, Brain. They hit you lots," Pinky protested hoarsely, his hand hesitating over his throat. "Zort. I could've gotten it for you, what do you need?"

Stubborn, The Brain shook his head. But he collapsed onto the bed more than crawled onto it and ended up spending several minutes just getting his dizziness under control. When he was able to sit up again, he did and pulled the kit into their bed as well. He opened it, grateful to be a genius when he opened a small zippered area and drew out a cold, blue pack. "Roll onto your back, Pinky. It'll be easier to keep this in place."

"But Brain, shouldn't I help you first?" he asked, but obeyed the command nonetheless. "You don't look so good. Poit." At least he didn't from what he could see with only one eye. The rest of everything was all dark like he was half-sleeping. If Brain looked bad with one eye, though, he couldn't imagine how bad it was with more than one.

"You already stopped the bleeding. There's little else you can do for me tonight. As long as I remain in bed the remainder of the night, I'll be fine." Brain settled the cold pack over Pinky's swollen eye. "Now hold that there. It'll assist the swelling." He looked back into the first aid kit, scowling because there was little for Pinky's throat. "Hm."

It was cold and at first it hurt too. If Brain hadn't told him to keep it on his eye, he would've taken it off. Strangely enough, the longer he kept it on, the less it hurt. It was a magic ice bag. "Naaaarf." Pinky turned his head a little to look at his bestest friend. "Thank you, Brain."

"You're welcome, Pinky." He pulled out a human-sized cough drop, unwrapped it. It had already been broken into small pieces for them, so he handed one to his sidekick. "This will help your throat as I highly doubt my capabilities in making it to the kitchen to make you tea."

He popped it into his mouth, sucking experimentally and marvelled at how soothing it was. "Egad, Brain. It's like rolling around in a sock full of jelly." Surely the same healing properties applied. Pinky's tail beat against the bed lightly and he smiled warmly at the smaller mouse, who was being so nice to help him feel better even when he felt bad still. "You're the bestest best friend I could ever have."

Brain looked at him, frowning slightly. His best friend...? It had to be heat of the moment, he decided, and brushed it aside. "Yes, well, I wouldn't want you to suffer anymore than I surmise you would want me to suffer. Those rats are vile creatures and we mustn't let them keep me from taking over the world!"

"Right, Brain." He nodded in agreement, the cold pack slipping down his face a bit. "_Narf._ We'll never let those mean ol' rats stop us." Brain was too smart and his plan thingies too clever; he had to take over the world. Like his plan earlier had been brilliant- until the rats showed up. Then he'd stopped to help him. Oh, his friend was so selfless! Pinky reached out and gave the megalomaniac's hand a pat. "Next time you should stay in the computer, Brain. Poit. Then you can do your plan thingy and the rats can't stop you."

The smaller mouse dropped his gaze from the earnest blue one, looking at their touching hands instead. It was unsettling to realize that he'd called out to them, more worried about his sidekick's safety than he had been about completing his plan. But he comforted himself with the reminder that he wouldn't have been able to get the tools he'd needed had Pinky been rendered incapacitated. And... It simply hadn't been right.

He turned his hand so their palms could meet, gave Pinky's hand a firm squeeze before drawing his hand away entirely to close the kit. "No, Pinky. I can hardly take over the world without my trusted sidekick by my side."

Pinky watched him, bringing his hand back in to hold over his heart. His palm tingled. "But Brain, I'll always be by your side. Zort. We live in the same cage and we're friends." Swallowing thickly, the last of the cough drop dissolving, his throat seemed a lot better already. Maybe his eye was too! He took off the ice pack and tried to look at it. Trying to look at one's own eye was very difficult though.

Brain looked over, his own eyes rolling. He nudged the pack back onto his eye. "It looks a bit better, but it'll heal faster the longer you keep that on. Our spliced genetics should also assist the healing process."

"Troz. When will those come to help, Brain?" he asked, blinking over at him.

The smaller mouse gave him a bland look. "When we're sleeping. Remain on your back, Pinky. You can stay on my side for tonight." Brain shimmied lower so he could lie down properly, sighing heavily the moment his head touch the pillow. It strongly took the edge off the remaining dizziness.

Pinky tugged the blankets up around him more, hesitating the more he thought about how it was Brain's side. It smelled like him and it was very distracting, but not in a bad way. It was rather... nice. It felt very safe being surrounded by his scent. After pondering about it for a little bit, he decided he liked it and closed his eye with a happy sigh. "Goodnight, Brain. Feel better in the morning."

"Yes, Pinky, you too." The Brain rolled onto his side, reaching out to give his friend a small pat. "Goodnight."

-8-8-

The following night's plan failed. Not because of the rats, but because Brain had been so focused on making no noise that the plan had been simple, mindlessly so. Not only did they make no noise, they made no progress. He should've known that petitions wouldn't work without some sort of fanfare behind them. He and Pinky could've made a video of sorts or... or done _something_ to generate interest, to convince people to sign the petition that he become uncontested ruler of the world.

Instead, they'd gotten one signature and Brain suspected that "Seymour Buttes" was a false name anyway. So, sighing, the smaller mouse had trudged back to their cage with his simple-minded companion rather confused. ("Wuh- we failed, Brain? But how? Nothing exploded!") Brain had gone to bed determined to not allow those rats to stifle his creativity with their threats and abuse ever again.

And, with both he and Pinky fully healed the next day, it seemed like an excellent decision. Even though his plan was his first to leave the lab, he and Pinky needed to do one thing. Or, well, he needed to do one thing because Pinky wasn't allowed anywhere near his chemicals.

When there was an explosion, he looked around warily. His fur was singed, but he was able to brush that off after a few silent, tense seconds. Then he went back to it and, after the third explosion, calmed entirely. Clearly, the bravado of the two rats had worn out and they understood that he was determined to rule the world; their sleep schedules were a minor sacrifice.

But the two rats were nearby, watching, one already clutching Pinky since they'd nabbed him mid-dance in front of the television. A long tail was wrapped over his mouth, keeping him from warning his friend. A decision had been made and it was best that the moron just be left to watch. This wasn't his doing, it was the other one's.

Brain felt their approach, his fur prickling, and he started to run without even looking back. He was tripped by a long tail, rolling across the counter. When he stopped, he saw that they had his friend. "Pinky! Put him down!" he ordered.

"No."

"Mmf-mmmf!" Pinky's eyes were wide as he kicked and struggled, but the rat that held him didn't let up his grip. He'd forgotten to be scared of them, since they hadn't seen them in what felt like ages, but as soon as they'd grabbed him it filled him and sent his heart a-pounding. They were gonna keep Brain from taking over the world! They were gonna hurt him! Oh, his friend had to get away! He was so small and the rats were so big, they'd crush him like cornflakes! "Brrrn!"

"Put him down," Brain repeated, hedging back when the larger creature moved forward. "He's done nothing."

The rat's lips curled into a sneer. "We know," he growled and Brain's ears fell. He opened his mouth again, but was cut off by a strong tail wrapping around his neck. It squeezed and Brain just had to run. But even as the decision crossed through his mind, he was lifted from the ground. He wheezed, his air cut off, and began to flail. The small mouse tried desperately to kick out, but reached nothing. He tried clawing at the skin, but there was no effect on the tougher, bigger rodent. But Brain was able to latch on and angle his head just a little, just enough for little breaths.

Tired of the spit that was getting slathered on his tail, the other rat released his gag on Pinky, letting him cry out for the big-headed one. Let him have something else to listen to aside from the pounding that would surely be in his head.

"Brain! Brain! Mr. Rat, don't do that! _Narf! _ Let him go! He's supposed to take over the world! It's his destiny! Oh, please don't hurt him! He's my friend!" Pinky pleaded, writhing frantically, but the grip didn't budge.

"Quiet, moron!" the rat holding him snapped. "This is what got you into trouble in the first place. Now shut it!"

The other rat was enjoying himself, lowering Brain just enough so his toes could brush against the countertop. Gasping for what little air he could manage, his legs flailed madly for some sort of purchase beyond this teasing amount. But then he was up again and the hold was tighter, pressing against his throat from all sides, and cut off even that small supply of needed oxygen.

The rat held him at Pinky's eye level then, tears streaming from Brain's pink eyes as he latched onto the tail and desperately tugged. There was nothing he could do but make gurgling, choked noises as the grip tightened further and further. His flails grew weaker, the life in his eyes dimming as he gazed into Pinky's blue ones.

Pinky gasped, horrified tears of his own welling up. He both knew and didn't know what the look in his eyes meant and it scared him. It scared him even more than the red that poured from his face, more than the squeaky sounds he made. "Stop it!" he shouted, panicked and wild. "Stop it! I'll do anything if you stop! _Please_!"

"In a minute." The rat with Brain smiled slowly. The flails of the captive mouse grew weaker still, more like twitches than flails. And even those soon stopped, his eyes drifting shut. When the small body grew limp in his grasp, the rat chuckled and used his tail to throw him. Brain bounced on the counter like a rag doll, rolled limply to stop perilously close to the edge. "Alright, put the retard down and let's go. We don't have to worry about that anymore."

Snickering, the rat with Pinky dropped him unceremoniously and followed his cagemate. "Enjoy all the new space you'll have in your cage, retard!" he hollered to the abnormal blue-eyed mouse. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

Pinky didn't pay them any mind, couldn't hear them anyway over his racing heart. Brain was so still. Nearly sliding off the counter in his haste to get to him, the taller mouse hovered over him, his whole body twitching as he tried to decide what to do. Oh, but he didn't know what to do! "Brain? Brain, wake up!" he wailed, tears splashing his cagemate's fur. He placed his hands on his chest and shook him a little, watching him go all flippy-floppy. He'd never felt so afraid before. His friend, his bestest best friend, his family wasn't moving at all.

Wait. He'd seen something like this on Baywatch! Oh, of course! The get-better kiss on the mouth that made all the still people come back to life! He could save Brain with it! Pinky carefully tipped his big ol' lumpy round chubby head back and opened his mouth a little for him. Without thinking twice, he placed his mouth over it and blew a couple times. It had to be a couple, just to make sure it worked. "Brain, you've gotta wake up. You can't take over the world if you don't wake up."

Had the careless rats checked for a pulse, they would've found one. Dim and fading, but there. It grew a little stronger when Pinky's CPR attempts worked, getting Brain to cough and wheezily breathe in. He let out a soft, fearful little squeak, not opening his eyes. He shut them tighter even, chest rising and falling with rapid, shallow breaths. They wanted to kill him; they were going to kill him. He couldn't take over the world if they killed him, and who would take care of Pinky? He was entirely too bumbling to be alone.

"Brain!" he exclaimed, relief flooding him so fast it made him dizzy. His first instinct was to hug him tightly and never let go, but the fear and the squeak and wheezy sounds had him freeze with his arms outstretched. It broke his heart into itty bitty gooey pieces. "Oh, Brain... shhh, it's alright. They're gone now. Poit. You're safe." Vaguely he remembered the feeling of security when he'd been snuggled up on Brain's side of the bed, surrounded by his scent, so he gently cradled him in his lap, hoping he might have the same effect. "You're safe, Brain. I won't let them get you."

As the familiar scent and arms enveloped him, Brain was struck by the knowledge that they were indeed familiar. His sidekick, his friend, was familiar. He opened his eyes slowly, cautiously, and looked up. Those big blue eyes were the last things he'd seen before... The sobs began as the thought trailed, raspy and hoarse and so very broken. Those eyes had nearly been the last things he'd _ever_ seen. They'd tried to kill him. He sobbed into Pinky's chest, trying to muffle the sounds in case they came back, in case they finished it, in case they hurt Pinky too. But he couldn't stop the crying entirely, terrified and relieved and hurt bundled together and sending him spiraling.

Pinky hugged him closer, nuzzling the top of his head. There was so much trembling. So many sad sounds. "Don't cry, Brain," he begged, tears slipping down his cheeks too. "You're okay now. I promise. So please don't cry." He rocked him gently, rubbing circles into his back to soothe, to somehow make the hoarse sounds stop and bring back the happy "yes" and ponderings he'd gotten used to.

But he wasn't okay. He wasn't okay. They weren't going to stop. He shook his head, clinging to Pinky's fur. "No," he whimpered as the soothing motions did their job. He was still upset, but the sobbing had largely subsided. "No, Pinky, they're not going to stop. The rats aren't going to leave us alone."

Even when the harsh sobbing had stopped, Pinky kept up the gentle motions, needing to move and hold just as badly as Brain needed it. "But Brain, they have to. You have to take over the world. You said so." It was his best friend's dream, those rats couldn't stop it. Something unfamiliar curdled in his gut, a feeling that made him shiver from how... not right it felt. But thinking about them made it stronger, so he tried very hard not to think about it. "I'll make you some tea, Brain. 'Kay? I'll make you tea and you'll feel much better," he murmured.

Brain moved quickly, throwing his arms around Pinky's neck to cling and keep him in place. "No! No, don't go." Fear filled him, making his heart race and his eyes widen. What if they came back and he was alone? What if they invaded their cage? "Don't leave me alone, Pinky, please."

"I won't," he quickly assured him, keeping his arms around him and squeezing his eyes shut. "I won't go anywhere, Brain. I'm sorry." The bad feeling prickled under his skin now, making his tail tense and his ears perked. He listened for any sign that the rats would come back, but heard none. It still didn't calm him though. Brain was scared and he needed to be protected. "I'm sorry, Brain."

The smaller mouse didn't want to be on the counter any longer, fear prickling his fur. "I... Perhaps..." He needed to get himself under control, scrubbed at his face. How could he expect his sidekick to listen to him and follow his lead if he fell apart and clung to him like a fearful child? But it was so difficult when they could return at any moment. "I'll go to the kitchen with you." There would be a door between them then. It would be safer, easier to think.

Nodding rapidly, he didn't even think to let go of his cagemate, carrying him as he darted across the counter to the kitchen. He kicked the door shut with his foot and waited, watching the handle, the crease at the bottom, the hinges... but nothing happened. Pinky continued eyeing it over the top of Brain's head, wary as he walked backwards, using his tail to feel for the counter. When he bumped into it, he looked up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Brain swallowed hard, pulling away from his cagemate. They were safe now. They had to be. "Do you smell them, Pinky?" He'd learned over their time together that his friend had an excellent olfactory sense, better than his own. It chafed at his ego, but he consoled himself with the thought that it only meant his simple-minded sidekick was more in touch with base instincts. The Brain was above those.

"Mm-mm." Pinky shook his head, his whole body settling more the longer they stayed in the kitchen. "They're not here, Brain. Or coming here. Poit."

"Good." He broke away entirely from his cagemate, brushing himself off as nonchalantly as possible before scrubbing at his damp face. "Did they hurt you, Pinky?" He didn't look hurt, but it was difficult to see bruises beneath fur.

He shook his head again, sniffling and looking down at his feet. His arms wanted to keep holding, but Brain seemed done (or at least wanted to be done) so he hugged himself instead.

"Don't begin crying, my friend." Or continue crying. The dampness of Brain's fur wasn't only from his own tears. "Come. You can show me how you make your excellent tea."

Right, his tea. Brain needed his tea and then he'd feel better. Then they'd both feel better. "'Kay." Pinky nodded and led the way up to where the coffee pot was. He turned it on to heat the water and then went fishing around for some thimbles. He'd make some tea for himself too; tea was always better with two. "Did you like it with the honey and lemon, Brain?" he asked while grabbing a tea bag.

"Yes, Pinky. Honey is typically excellent when one has a sore throat." Which he did have. He clasped his hands behind his back, watching the taller mouse move with surprising efficiency. There had to be a way to translate these motions to a plan, but the thought of more plans had him trembling again. They'd ruined so many plans. Over half a week's worth, though the night before had been ruined more by his own wariness than their presence.

Pinky prepared the honey and lemon then while he let the tea bag steep in the coffee pot. He didn't time it, didn't have to, and simply knew when it had been long enough. Scooping up two thimblefuls, he added the sweetener and flavoring to each individual cup before blowing lightly on the one he handed to Brain. "Here, Brain. Troz." And just in time it seemed. He was all trembly again.

He took a deep, steadying breath, trying not to dwell on the relief that he could breathe. "Thank you, Pinky," he said quietly and took another sip. It was perfect, soothing his throat and warming the icy fear in his belly. His eyes closed on an appreciative hum. "Yes... Perfect."

"_Narf!_" Pinky laced his fingers together, holding his hands under his chin as he preened. Perfect. Oh, he called his tea perfect. Even if it was something small, he was so glad he could help Brain feel better in some way. "You're welcome!" He picked up his own thimble, not showing it the care he had for Brain and took a gulp before testing the heat. He had to stick his tongue out for a minute, but it was nothing too bad.

Brain's eyes fluttered open again, his features sliding into the more familiar scowl. It was more comfortable for both of them, this sign that he truly was feeling better. "Don't burn your mouth." He took another sip, sighing contentedly. "Imbecile," he grumbled, the word carrying none of the heat claims or "retard" and "moron" had with the rats. Brain was insulting, but not necessarily intending to insult.

"'oo 'ate," Pinky told him, tongue lolling. When he brought the thimble to his lips again, he blew this time around and then drank. Much better! Oh, especially because Brain's scowly-scowl was back! Scowls meant he wasn't scared, the magic tea was working! "Feeling better, Brain?" His tail wagged expectantly, blue eyes hopeful.

"Much better, Pinky. Yes." Brain gazed down at the amber liquid, nodding firmly. He wasn't going to let a couple of barbarians disrupt his plans and ruin his goals any longer. The world was going to be his. "Tomorrow night, the entire plan is going to be outside. And then, once we take over the world, we'll never have to worry about those vile rats again."

"Egad, Brain! Brilliant!" he praised, bouncing on his toes, some of the tea sloshing out of the thimble. Pinky blinked down at it, then drank some more. "Those mean ol' rats will never suspect it!"

"Precisely what I had hoped. You just have to promise not to run amok while we're out there. We aren't going outside to play, but to take over the world!" The little mouse was determined to manage it, no matter how long it took since it hadn't worked that first night like he'd thought.

Pinky nodded. "Right, Brain. I won't." He didn't even know how to run amok, he just knew how to run on the wheel and run fast. "I'll stay right with you and help. _Zort._"

Brain nodded, tilting his thimble back to finish his tea. He felt immensely better, warm and confident that the following night's plan would bring them success. "Alright, Pinky. We should retire for the evening so that we are well-rested for tomorrow night."

"Why Brain?" he asked, as if their conversation didn't just happen while he set down his empty thimble. "What're we gonna do tomorrow night?"

Rolling his eyes, Brain placed his fists on his hips. "The same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world!"

"Naaaaaarf! 'Kay!" Pinky turned off the coffee pot and followed Brain to the edge of the counter, shimmying down so they could begin the trek back to their cage. Upon reaching the floor, he dashed ahead, peeking his head out the door. It was quiet and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He sniffed cautiously; it smelled normal too. He deemed the coast clear even if they weren't at a beach. Opening the door a little further, he let Brain go first. "After you. Poit."

"Yes, always." Brain stepped out of the kitchen, taking a deep breath. They'd be safe in their cage. They would both be absolutely fine. The smaller mouse clasped his hands behind his back and led the way across the floor; no need to climb onto the counter until they were where they needed to be.

Pinky followed, his alert senses the only thing preventing him from getting distracted by the dust balls hidden in corners on the floor. He was listening, cautiously looking around with his hands folded behind his back too, mimicking Brain consciously. When they did climb the counter, they came up right in front of their cage, easy enough to just slip inside and close the door.

For the first time since being spliced, Brain made sure the door to their cage was locked before going to bed. He tried to keep his pace steady and his steps even, but he felt uncomfortably exposed. His heart raced, faster and faster until he was in bed and burrowed beneath the blanket on his side. Only then did he blow out a long, unsteady breath and begin to feel safe again.

Crawling into bed beside him, Pinky settled under the covers before nudging his friend with his nose. "Don't be scared, Brain. They can't get us in here."

Brain rolled over to face him, the familiar scent admittedly soothing. For once, he was grateful they shared a bed, but resisted the urge to scoot closer and let himself be enveloped by the scent of his friend. He stayed where he was and took what he could get with distance; it was enough. "I know they can't, Pinky."

It was good that he knew, it made Pinky feel a little better about saying it. Brain knew everything, so if he agreed then it was definitely true. "Sleep well, Brain. Have all sorts of lovely sweet dreams and we'll take over the world tomorrow." The taller mouse took it upon himself to shift a little closer to his cagemate, closing his eyes as his warmth soothed him. "Goodnight."

Appreciating the support, the smaller mouse debated whether or not to give Pinky a rewarding pat. Finally, he decided that he may as well, but made it brief. "Yes, Pinky, we will. Goodnight."

* * *

The attacks are short, but brutal :c

And they tried to kill Brain!

Poor babies. It was hard to write these, but the pattern of them comforting one another afterwards and cementing their friendship was nice


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter

It makes me saddest in some ways :c

* * *

He had to create a machine. The Brain had spent the entire day attempting to come up with any plan besides the one he'd created upon first waking up, but nothing would come. There was nothing stopping them, however, from creating the machine outside, he eventually realized, so instructed Pinky to begin carting materials outside.

They made fairly good time, communicating in whispers even when Brain lost his temper and bopped his cagemate. But Pinky managed to laugh quietly as they continued taking pieces and parts out the window to be fashioned together on the ground.

But then the sneeze happened. The duo had been hoisting the toolbox together, about to take it out the window. And a gust of wind blew the seeds of a weed towards them, igniting The Brain's allergies. He tried so hard to keep it at bay, to get Pinky to move a little faster. But he sneezed, hard and loud, and the toolbox clattered to the countertop, various tools clanging louding as they spilled from the box.

Brain clapped a hand over his mouth, staring at the scene with wide eyes, and began to quickly pick things up. "Come, Pinky! Quickly!" he ordered, dropping the whispers since the silence had already been shattered.

"_Narf!_" he answered, the tics back to their usual volume as he tossed the tools back into the box. Their quiet game was over, but at least it hadn't been his fault like Brain warned him it would be! Except not being quiet was still bad, so he couldn't really focus on how he'd won. "What're we gonna do, Brain?" Pinky asked worriedly as he shoved the last wrench on his side of the toolbox inside.

"I got an idea." The voice chilled the little megalomaniac, but there was a tail around his legs before he could make a break for the window. He yelped when he was knocked to his face, trembling as he was lifted and held upside-down. "I don't know what you did, but you're not doing it again," the rat growled, reaching out to strangle Brain with his hands this time.

The rat's friend had already grabbed Pinky, his arms wrapped around the mouse's chest and part of his neck to keep him from running to his cagemate. "You're gonna regret ever leaving that cage of yours," he hissed in his ear. "Your little friend won't survive this time."

Pinky had been struggling at first, but stilled at the words. His ears twitched high and his eyes were wide. He may not have understood completely, but he knew what they planned to do to Brain. He knew. And he promised himself he'd protect him. He did, and he wasn't and they were going to hurt him _again! _And again and again and again and they wouldn't ever stop! No! No, no, no, no!

"_Yeeeoow_!" the rat holding him screeched, Pinky's teeth set deep in his arm. On instinct, the rat released him, but he couldn't get away. Pinky's jaw clamped tight, the blue of his eyes expansive as his pupils narrowed to pinpricks. Shaking him off didn't work, and when the rat tried to use his other hand to pry him off, a menacing growl vibrated through the creature. "Get him off! He's nuts! He's gonna take my whole arm off!"

"C'mon, he's just a stupid little mouse." The taller rat released his grip of Brain's neck, the megalomaniac gasping for air.

He tried to curl up when he was dropped, but the tail stayed around his legs while the rat moved closer to Pinky and his cagemate. His fingers curled into fists, ready to strike, and Brain cried out, "Pinky! Look out!"

The rat looked back, beginning to lift his tail to slam Brain to the counter. "Shut up!"

With a snarl, Pinky released the rat's arm, letting him scramble a ways away as he glared wild-eyed at the one still holding and hurting his Brain. Blood stained his lips from where he'd bit, visible even as they curled back to bare his teeth before he crouched and sprung at the rat, knocking him down to pin him and growl in his face.

The rat released Brain to free himself up to roll and pin the mouse. His own, far sharper teeth bared. "Get off me, you retard!" he growled.

Brain crawled away desperately, stopping only when he reached his toolbox. He grabbed a wrench at random, holding it tightly and shaking as he watched. "Pinky!" he gasped.

His Brain was still scared and that wasn't acceptable. Pinky's fur bristled and fluffed up, with little regard that the rat above him was bigger and stronger. He kicked at him in the gut, hard and seeking some kind of leverage to flip them. The rat was too heavy though, so Pinky kicked again, his legs strong from all the running he'd done in his wheel, and knocked the air out of his captive, just enough so he could squirm out from under him. He slid over to Brain on all fours, crouched low in front of him as his chest continued to rumble with the sounds so unlike him, his glare darting from one rat to the other, daring either of them to try anything.

For a moment, the smaller mouse was more frightened of his companion than he was the rats. At least he'd come to expect such barbaric actions from the rats. But not from Pinky. Not the blue-eyed, big-hearted buffoon he'd come to know. His wide, fearful gaze flitted to the rats, one holding his gut as he rose, the other still dripping blood onto the counter from the wound on his arm. Pinky had done that. "P-Pinky...?" he whispered.

His ears twitched and the first thing he was aware of was that his mouth tasted really bad. Blinking rapidly, Pinky looked at the rats, fear creeping into his belly to replace the dark, thick thing that had snapped inside him. Not fear of the rats, no... he was scared because he'd hurt them. He didn't want to hurt anyone, hurting was wrong and why the rats shouldn't have been doing it to Brain. They shouldn't have. He was just trying to keep his friend safe, they should've just let him.

Pinky trembled as his fur settled, but he didn't get up just yet, still wary of the rats and scared to turn around. Brain was afraid of him. He'd made his bestest best friend afraid and that wasn't fair at all, but it still made him feel so bad inside. "G-go away now, please," he told the rats quietly.

The one clutching his arm turned to his cagemate. They could easily take the mouse as long as he stayed like this, but the fury that overtook him combined with his blatant disregard for self-preservation made him dangerous and he certainly didn't sign up to pick on someone who could fight back. "Let's get outta here."

"Yeah," the other agreed. "You keep that freak of yours on a leash," he snapped and Brain whimpered quietly, still clutching the wrench for protection as the two rats walked away.

Pinky held himself together until they'd gone, then collapsed on his front and sobbed. He felt so bad, so, so, so bad inside. His ears plastered themselves to his head and he curled up in as small a ball as he could manage with his body heaving so. "I h-hate the-em!" he cried, muffling it in his arms, tears soaking his fur. "I hate them!" He never wanted to hate anybody.

Brain gazed at him, trying to make his mind work. But the words were as much a surprise as his actions had been, so he was finding it a bit difficult to focus. He scrubbed a hand over his face, swallowing hard, and silently set the wrench aside before darting to their cage. He fetched the toothbrush his companion liked to chew on, put on a dollop of the fruit-flavored toothpaste he preferred, dampened it with a spritz from their water bottle, and scampered back to his friend.

The lanky mouse was still crying, stretched out and hiding his face. Brain dropped down beside him, petting his back. "Shh, Pinky. Here now. Get that taste out of your mouth." And get the blood off, he mentally added, fighting hard not to mention it.

"It t-tastes so bad," he hiccupped, sliding closer to his friend. When he left, he thought he wouldn't come back. He thought Brain hated him now too, just like he hated the rats. But he came back, he came back and Pinky lifted his head to place in Brain's lap. "I-I didn't m-mean to, Brain!"

"Hush, Pinky, I know." He looked down, thumbing away the tears, and sighed quietly at the shame in his friend's eyes. Something in his heart ached, uncomfortable and to be denied later. He hadn't known his sweet, simple-minded cagemate had held the capacity for such violence and, it seemed, neither had the mouse himself. To see it displayed had frightened at the time, but now it only served to cement the friendship on the megalomaniac's end. It was a seamless shift, one that went unnoticed as if it had always been there. Pinky had been protecting him.

"Take your toothbrush now." Brain nudged it closer, stroking the messy fur atop his friend's head. "And I know you didn't mean to, but thank you. You saved me, and I appreciate that."

"You don't h-hate me now? P-p-poit." He blinked more tears from his eyes, fingers curling around his toothbrush. His mouth tasted so bad. "I-I just didn't want them to hurt you. I didn't want to make you scared!"

"I know." No one had ever cared about him like that before. No one had ever protected him. "Brush your teeth now. Please, Pinky. Get that taste out of your mouth and we'll get ourselves cleaned up." Wash away the scent of those rats and perhaps cleanse their memory from his simple-minded friend. His heart was too soft for words like hate.

Sniffling, quieting his crying, Pinky sat up and began to scrub at his teeth. The fruity flavor cheered him up a little, only his bestest friend would know he wanted his favorite toothpaste. He brushed and brushed, wincing until the last of the bad taste was gone, the fur around his lips foamy from the toothpaste and the red tinge washed away. Instead of getting up to leave Brain's side and find a sink to spit in, he swallowed. "Thank you, Brain."

Brain tried not to gag at the fact that he'd swallowed all that. Toothpaste wasn't exactly safe to swallow anyway, but... his sidekick was an odd one. "You're welcome, Pinky. Now come. We'll have a bath and rid ourselves of their scents. And then I'll make certain that we never have an issue with those brutes again." He hadn't considered hacking into the scientists' computer before, believing that he and Pinky could just take over the world around their interference. But now it was about keeping his cagemate away from them. Pinky had protected him; he would return the favor.

"Promise? No rats?" He grabbed onto Brain's arm, wide blue eyes seeking the pink ones of his friend. He didn't ever want to feel so scary ever again. If he never ever saw another rat, then maybe he never would. And he didn't want to worry about anyone hurting Brain either. It was too much to worry about, so he hugged Brain's arm close.

"No more rats, Pinky. I promise." He never wanted to see his companion like that again. Brain didn't pull away from him, using his hold to guide him to the little sinks instead. Only then did he disentangle himself from the taller mouse to turn the water on and wait for it to warm.

Pinky twisted his hands together, looking around nervously. His ears lifted a little and he sniffed, but everything was fine. Rubbing away the tear stains on his cheeks, he shook off the wariness and went to get soap for the bath. Bubbles would make everything better. He liked bubbles. "We'll take the bath together, Brain?"

He sighed, taking the soap from his friend to add it to the water since it was at the correct temperature. "Yes, we may as well."

"'Kay." Good, he wanted to stay close. If he was with Brain then nothing could hurt him and Brain would make sure he didn't get all mean and snarly. Pinky rubbed his chest. The growly sound was so strange, he'd never made it before. He tried, just to see, but all that came out was a purr-like "grrr". He blinked. Not very scary at all. "Poit."

Hearing the attempted growl had Brain scowling. He marched over to his friend and yanked him down. Not by his snout as he was prone to do, but by his cheeks. "You were not created to growl at things. The fact that those vile creatures managed to make you growl once doesn't mean you ever have to do it again. You're not bad, Pinky. You, my friend, are as far from bad as one could possibly ever get."

He couldn't tell if he was being scolded or complimented, but the hands framing his face made him feel warm and happy for some reason, so he decided to go with the latter. The tingly feeling in his head had to mean it was a compliment. "Thank you, Brain." Smiling brightly at him, Pinky placed one of his hands over one of Brain's. "I'll try not to ever growl again. Promise!"

"Someone of your joyous disposition hardly has to try, Pinky." He would just remove the rats and the problem would go away. Pinky would never have to be upset again. "I have faith that you'll continue down that particular street." The hand over his had him clearing his throat and taking a step back. "In the bath now."

"'Kay!" Pinky saluted the smaller mouse with the wrong hand, then hopped into the sink. Bubble baths were so lovely! He felt better already! His muscles were still all springy and ready to sproing, so the warm water eased them and relaxed his whole body. That was important; tension and stress led to headaches and hair loss and Pinky certainly didn't want that to happen. "Naaaaaaarf." He slipped low under the water, his chin resting just on the surface, and closed his eyes. "Egad, Brain, it's glorious. You astound me."

"That isn't difficult to do," Brain grumbled and climbed into the sink with him. The bubbles were frivolous and he made a mental note to bathe with Pinky as little as possible to avoid them in the future, but for now it was acceptable. He didn't take the time to enjoy the warmth, instead beginning to efficiently scrub his fur.

The blue-eyed mouse watched him, poking his tongue out as he mimicked him on his own body. He smelled like rat, they both did, and that was completely unsanitary! People might mistake them for rats. It would be the highest offense if anyone ever did. Lathering up so much soap into his fur left him all sudsy and bubbly. He could even blow some of the bubbles off of himself into the air, clapping as they floated down. Yes, bubbles did make everything better. So did his best friend. He smiled over at him and waved, sending more bubbles to flick and fall off his arm.

Pink eyes rolled, but he waved back nonetheless. "Yes, Pinky, hello. Rinse off. I have one more thing to do before we get to bed."

"_Narf!_" He submerged himself, popping back up all wet and bubble free, but with soap in his eyes. Scrubbing at them, he turned this way and that to address his cagemate. "What's that, Brain?" Pinky asked the edge of the sink, still rubbing his eyes.

Scowling, Brain made his way over to the idiot and grabbed his wrist, dragging him to the faucet. He pushed it on, then dropped back down to tilt Pinky's face towards the spray to get the soap out of his eyes. Once satisfied, the water went off again. "I already told you, Pinky. I'm going to make certain we never have to deal with those rats again."

Blinking rapidly, he tilted his head back to look at the big-headed mouse. "But how're you gonna do that, Brain? Poit."

His smirk was small and smug. "By making the humans remove them. Come, my friend, and I'll show you." He climbed out of the sink, seeking a nearby cloth to dry himself off with. He tossed it back to Pinky, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode along the counter. "Dry yourself, Pinky, and follow."

Pinky caught the towel and vigorously rubbed it all over his fur. It ended up sticking out every which way, but he was dry and he folded up the cloth to set aside for later before darting after Brain. His best friend was such a smarty! Whatever plan thingy he had to move the rats was sure to work! "What is it, Brain?" He gazed eagerly at him, fingers laced together in front of him.

"It's exceedingly simple, which is something even you should appreciate." They reached a computer and Brain hopped onto the keys, pulling it from its screensaver. He began to leap from key to key, quickly deciding to come up with some sort of contraption to assist in his typing the next time, and was soon hacked into the scientists' software. He sent out a mass message, ordering them to release all of the rats. They were now banned from Acme Labs for... medical reasons, Brain concluded. He rubbed his hands together as he read over the memo before leaping off of the keyboard. "Here, Pinky. Hit this button and only this button and our message will be sent."

"A button!" he gasped, clapping his hands together. "Oh, thank you, Brain!" He just loved pushing buttons! Any kind of button really. Big buttons, little buttons, shiny red buttons... oh, right. He needed to push this button right here. He tapped it happily, hugging himself when the message was sent. "So that sent all the rats away to Charlie Sheen's house?" he asked hopefully. That was very far away and certainly good punishment for mean ol' mean rats.

Drat. He should've suggested that's where they be sent. Hm. Brain shook his head. "No, Pinky. That made it so the humans would take the rats away come morning. Now come. Perhaps we can sleep in tomorrow and avoid any maze-running if they're going to be occupied with rat removal." He did enjoy sleeping in, though there were times when he wondered if his cagemate actually slept.

"Aw, but I like the mazes. They give us moldy cheese at the end." He rubbed his tummy as he followed. "Poit. Oh, but only if I get to do it with you, Brain. Otherwise I get all lost and turned around willy-nilly! Like an ant in an ant house!"

"Actually, ants are very adept at knowing where they are and what they're doing. Which puts them a step ahead of you, my friend." Brain alighted into their cage, waiting for Pinky to join him before closing and locking the door behind him.

Pinky went to the foot of their bed, ducking under the covers and wiggling around in circles as he tried to find his way to the surface. It was very easy to get lost in their bed. When he did poke his head out, it was at the side of their bed, Brain's side to be specific. He smiled at Brain, tail wagging under the covers. "Would ants know how to get to my pillow from here, Brain?"

"Perhaps if they were trained." Or if there was some sort of foodstuffs on Pinky's pillow. _His_ pillow, actually. Brain allowed it, crawling into Pinky's side and settling amongst the familiar scent. His side was closer to the door and he knew Pinky would protect him if anything came through that door. He reached out, giving his friend a pat. "Tomorrow night, we won't have to worry about anything but our goal."

"Poit." Going around in a few more circles, he popped up on Brain's pillow and planted his cheek on it, snuggling up in bed happily. Blue eyes blinked at the smaller mouse, observing in a quiet manner not typical of his nature, his tail steadily slowing. "Promise?"

Brain scooted a little closer, leaving a hand on Pinky's upper arm. He never wanted those bright eyes to get so dark and terrifying, never wanted growls and snarls to replace but the giggles and smiles. He never wanted to hear the word "hate" spill from him again. Pinky was just too sweet, and the fact that he'd been frightened of his own sidekick, even briefly, was an affront to his ego. "I promise, my dear friend. You'll never have to deal with rats again."

His gaze lit up, taking Brain getting closer as well as his label of "my dear friend" as permission to wrap his arms around him for a hug. They both needed it in his opinion. "Thank you, Brain. I promise you won't have to either. Troz."

His cheeks reddened at the unexpected embrace, but since it wasn't squeezing the life out of him, he allowed it for a couple of minutes before drawing away. "I have faith in you, Pinky. Now sleep. We have much to do before tomorrow night."

"Why, Brain?" he asked, tucking his arms under him and nuzzling the pillow. When he closed his eyes, he could pretend they were still hugging. "What're we gonna do tomorrow night? Train ants?"

He opened his mouth to refute it immediately, but then hummed to himself. It was a viable idea, opening up a plan in his vast mind. "Perhaps. But, most importantly, we're going to do the same thing we do every night. Try to take over the world!"

"Naaaaaaarf," Pinky purred, smiling at the familiar exclamation. He liked that they did the same thing every night. "Poit." He yawned, letting his head fall closer to Brain's. "Goodnight, Brain."

"Goodnight, Pinky." Content with the knowledge that there would be no more rats getting in the way of his schemes, Brain let his eyes close and soon fell asleep with his hand still on his friend's arm.

-8-8-

There'd been another instance here and there, a plan bumping them up against sewer rats or show rats or the occasional lab rat when Brain's plans took them to another part of the world. And every single time, Pinky's fur would bristle and his sweet sidekick turned best friend turned husband would become something vicious. But there were no rats at their castle once they finally did manage to take over the world, and their children and the generations that followed never had to see that happy smile become a snarl.

The emperor preferred it that way. "Come, Pinky. We should go find Pumpkin's twins. I suppose Sweetie deserves a watered down explanation for why we don't discuss those vile creatures." Very watered down. He didn't want his great-granddaughter to imagine for even a second that her happy great-grandma even knew how to snarl.

Blue eyes opened and he lifted his head from where he'd rested it on Brain's shoulder. "There was no water then, Brain. Troz. Just rats and us and... umm... toothbrush." His eyes crossed a little, then squinted as he remembered why he'd needed a toothbrush. It was hard to forget some tastes. He rubbed his cheek against his husband's to take his mind off of it, lower lip jutting out in a slight pout. "And do we _have_ to talk about it?"

"Yes, Pinky. You know how curious Sweetie is; she'll ask everyone why we don't like them." Brain brushed his lips to his husband's brow. "Watered down means we won't give her details, imbecile," he murmured. "We'll only tell her that rats are consistently very cruel to us and that we're protecting our family from them. Because we are, my dear. We've done a very fine job so far, but you've always excelled at protecting those you love." He rested a hand over his partner's heart, rubbing gently.

Pinky hugged him a little tighter, his heart skipping at Brain's touch. "You too, Brain. Always. _Narf._" Brain had been the one to make the bad ol' rats go away the first time. He'd made it so they wouldn't get them in the lab ever again. Or their castle either. Nuzzling him, he sought out a proper kiss and gave it. "'Kay. We can go tell her. And you can explain to Yam better, too. I just told him they were icky."

"They are icky, Pinky." Brain used his cane to stand, offering a hand to his loving husband. "Come along, sweetheart."

Beaming at him, eyes bright, Pinky took his hand and got up to follow. "Coming, my love."

Nodding, Brain lifted Pinky's hand to his lips and led him from the room in search of their great-grandchildren, located somewhere in their rat-free castle.

* * *

No rats ever; they're badly bad things who are bad :c

And Pinky had to get all mean and vicious and scared himself and Brain...

But they're together forever :heart: And that's what ultimately matters


End file.
